Pandora for Windows Phone 8 is now available and we go hands on

Pandora music has always been one of those apps that served as a metric for mobile platforms: so long as Windows Phone did not have it, it was behind. Luckily, last October Microsoft finally announced that indeed Pandora was coming to Windows Phone 8 in “early 2013” and a few weeks ago we had hints it was near.

Well, that day is today.

Yes, the official Pandora app for Windows Phone 8 can be downloaded from the Store and is now available in the US, Australia and New Zealand. What’s more, Microsoft carried through on their promise of an ad-free experience throughout the year. Indeed users won’t have to pay a dime to experience the premium Pandora experience on their Windows Phone.

We’ve had an early chance to play with the app extensively and we’re impressed. It’s fast, smooth and the Live Tiles work perfectly. Having access to that amount of music (and entertainment like comedy) on our Windows Phone is quite fantastic, especially since the audio fidelity is quite high. Nothing in the app feels “ported” or rushed but rather built from the ground up for Windows Phone 8.

From doublewide Tiles that flip to reveal artist and track info, to the ability to pin numerous stations to your Start screen, the Windows Phone 8 Pandora app has it. If a track is playing that you want to purchase, simply head into the Xbox Music Store with one-click to buy. Equally, the app integrates with the social API on Windows Phone, meaning you can share the track you are listening to with ease to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or share the station with your contacts directly.

Watch our video hands on with the app to see Pandora in action, or just head here to the Windows Phone Store to get it now. Full press release below. [Note: links may take awhile to go "live" but it should happen soon enough].

Pandora Extends Mobile Reach with Windows Phone

OAKLAND, Calif., March 21, 2013 (8:30 a.m. EST) – Pandora (NYSE: P), the leading internet radio service, today announced the availability of its popular mobile app on the Windows Phone platform, extending the company’s leadership position as one of the top apps across all connected devices.

Through more than 1,000 integrations including smartphones and consumer electronics devices, Pandora continues to be an industry leader in mobile and device usage. More than 140 million registered users have accessed Pandora via a smartphone or tablet and more than 75 percent of Pandora's listening occurs on a mobile or other connected device.

Pandora listeners on Windows Phone 8 will enjoy ad-free personalized radio at no cost, courtesy of Microsoft, through the 2013 calendar year in addition to features unique to the platform, including Live Tiles and Kid’s Corner:

Live Tiles make the Windows Phone experience highly personalized, allowing people to easily access the features and apps where they spend most of their time. Pandora listeners can pin their favorite personalized radio stations right to the Start screen of their phone to see what’s currently playing at a glance and for easy access to stations recently played without having to launch the app.

Kid’s Corner offers a worry free way for Windows Phone customers to share their smartphone with the entire family. Launching Pandora in Kid’s Corner will automatically activate the explicit content filter for instant kid-friendly listening.

The extraordinary embrace of personalized radio on smartphones has enabled Pandora to reach massive scale in mobile listening and over 1 in 3 smartphone users in the US have listened to Pandora in the past month.

Pandora Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joe Kennedy said, “Pandora has reached a level of ubiquity that allows music fans to tune-in to the best internet radio anytime, anywhere and we are thrilled to bring the experience to even more mobile listeners through the highly personalized platform that Microsoft has created with Windows Phone.”

“Pandora pioneered the personal music experience with individualized stations and it’s a perfect match for Windows Phone, the first truly personal smartphone experience with unique features like Live Tiles and Kids Corner,” said Joe Belfiore, VP, Windows Phone Division, Microsoft Corp. “Pandora for Windows Phone takes advantage of these features and more to deliver a free personalized music experience exclusive to the platform,” he continued.

Starting today, listeners in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand can download Pandora for Windows Phone 8 from Windows Phone Store at www.windowsphone.com/pandora. More details, including a video are available via the Microsoft Windows Phone News Room at www.windowsphone.com/blog.

ABOUT PANDORA

Pandora (NYSE: P) gives people music and comedy they love anytime, anywhere, through connected devices. Personalized stations launch instantly with the input of a single "seed" - a favorite artist, song, or genre. The Music Genome Project®, a deeply detailed hand-built musical taxonomy, powers the personalization of Pandora® internet radio by using musicological "DNA" and constant listener feedback to craft personalized stations from a growing collection of more than one million tracks. Tens of millions of people turn on Pandora every month to hear music they love. www.pandora.com

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I don't really see how this couldn't work for WP7 anyway. It basically uses music services (app is located in advanced section of background tasks), something that the "dead" OS has ever since its release.

When I went to the marketplace today, my boss gave me a lumia 822 we got Verizion at work, to try out and I saw Pandora I about freaked and grabbed my Lumia 920 and got it and love it. All we need to get is that damn instagram and the apple and droid fanboys will shut up. :)

Does the Pandora app allow you to cache stations for offline listening? Didn't see that option listed when Daniel was demonstrating the app in the video.
Personally, I really like Slacker Radio, and they told me they're working on an update for their WP8 app.

Thank You Great Flying Spaghetti Monster!! Pandora is here and the sun shines a little brighter and the air is just a little sweeter.
Now, if we can just get Insta.... awww, nevermind! Let's just enjoy this for now.

I had a question along the same lines and can answer part of yours. The App is ad-free and higher bit rate (although you can un-select higher bit rate option in settings if you're in a poor signal area or something like that). But the 'Pandora One' part is what I'm wondering about. When I installed the app, I could either sign-up or sign-in. I wanted all the stations I've rated songs on for years, so of course I chose sign-in option. I don't know if new users signing up for the first time or just creating a brand new account are having a different experience but I feel a little misled. The issue I'm having is that although I do have the better bit-rate and ad-free music on my WP8, the option to upgrade to 'Pandora One' is still there on my phone and ads remain using Pandora on my PC. This was advertised as "One Year of Pandora One coming with App to WP First Quarter of 2013". I hate to complain about a "gift" here but I made my decision at the end of last year to not renew my 3 yrs running Pandora One subscription due to all those press releases following Microsoft's announcement. Now the App is finally released about a week before Second Quarter only actually giving a few days more than 9 months ad-free music and it is not 'Pandora One'. Anyone else feeling a bit deceived? Or know if I'm only not getting 'Pandora One' because I didn't create a new account?

Glad it is here. Plus no ads and unlimited skips through the rest of this year.... Some people really need to stop complaining and just shut the fucl< up.. Be glad you got it now rather then never. I just hope the WP 7.x guys get it as well. They have a reason to complain...

My GF just switched from iPhone to 920. Her only real complaint was no Pandora. I didn't care, but she is one of the people who aren't necessarily OS loyal, and now she will be happy. So, I don't have to hear about it anymore! Yay

Radiocontrolled is another good 3rd Party Pandora app.
I never quite understood people's aversions to 3rd party Pandora apps.... I understand with Instagram half the "fun" of Instagram is the social network, so if you're not tapping into that network, then its kind of pointless.
But Pandora 3rd party apps are unofficial delivery system for actual Pandora streams, and allowed one to log in to their Pandora accounts. For all intents and purposes, it was Pandora on WP8. And all anyone had to do was search for 'Pandora' in the Market to find them.

In Europe we have Deezer and it's kind of the same service.But the fact that big names like Pandora are coming to the platform is great news!This proves that more & more people get into WP8, that means a better updated platform & a solid future, without forgeting the developers who can now see this is a great alternative & maybe think again when deciding not to make apps for us because of weak demand.It's not true anymore :) I love my WP8 device.

I think this is the first time that a MAJOR app (non-game), that's been requested since the launch of WP7, will not come to WP7 (or at the very least WP7.8); especially since it's mostly been WP7 owners that were pounding Pandora with request to bring the app to the platform.

I can't remember if Belfiore announce it was WP8 only last year but I'm very disappointed that I won't be able to take advantage of the year ad-free listening.

You are aware that Microsoft doesn't make the app, right? Pandora decided that this would be a WP8 app, so your anger is misplaced. Besides, there is (and has been) a selection of 3rd party Pandora apps available, so you still have access to the service.

I cancelled my Pandora after they implemented the 40 hr limit. So this has no use anymore. Maybe I'll go back when they realize how useless it was like when they tried to do that to PC users. We have lock access ay work but free WiFi so I would use my phone to play. Still its good to see it official.

Might be, it's great Nokia Music exists for Europe.
Having big names like Pandora is great publicity for Windows Phone.
It can make other big names come on the platform.
WindowsPhone needs this if it wants to be the 3rd logo in the apps list on a service's webpage.

Every time a previously demanded app finally makes it to the platform, why so many comments about apps that are not there. Instagram! Instagram! - I hope MS will get FB to do a Instagram app just so that we will have less complaints about it not being there.

I think the same way too.
Also, I personally don't see too much value of Instagram, I don't need it, but I understand people want it.
Microsoft should help by accelerating the creation of these popular services. They lost a big momentum with that.
Windows Phone is almost as good as any other platform.

Bleh US only service. So far this week of teased hyped apps has been an update to skype which is still behind its ios counterpart, 2 games we knew were coming which have been out 3-4 months on other platforms, and a US only service. All positive steps for the platform sure, but certainly don't deserve a special fanfare... Hopefully Joe Belfiore unleashes a big app tomorrow.

Why not use the Samsung phone?
I think it's great they use it!
It's great to see almost the exact flaghsip Android phone running Windows Phone.
great for the Android fans for example to know there is really a similar option :)

Man this is great, I don't understand all the hate. If you don't like it or use it, good for you. This is a huge name bringing an official app to windows phone. I know a ton of people who love Pandora and this could help attract more users to the platform.

I have both Metro Radio and Radio Controlled on my Lumia 900 and my Lumia 920. Both work very well, but I prefer the look of Radio Controlled better. I like BOTH much better than that official Pandora app.

Not sure why people are whining at Microsoft/Windows Phone about this being US only.
Pandora isn't available outside of the US on any device because they are unwilling/unable to pay UK royalties. This isn't new, the UK got cut off back in 2008 so I don't understand why people seem so shocked by it.

Curious...does anyone know the main differences between this and Nokia Music offering? I'm just wondering if it's worth a download or not. If it's the same, i'll just stick with Nokia Music. Let me know. Thanks.

I've not used Nokia Music, so I can't compare to it. As a Pandora user, I find their suggestion engine excellent in discovering variety (and reducing repetition). I say give it a shot since it's free (and ad-free through the rest of the year).

Regardless of what you prefer and your opinion on the app's performance, this is huge news. When Every single device I have in my house, including my blu-ray player, has a pandora app, but my phone doesn't, it's a problem.

I wouldn't call it lame. Official apps are needed to show legitimacy and support. Besides, there are a lot of people that prefer official apps to third party apps. Subjective opinions aside, this is great news for WP.

Well, it certainly looks like all the official-app snobs pretend like they couldn't access Pandora, etc., before the official apps came out. The fact is, third-party apps exist for quite a few services and it's dishonest to pretend that "I don't have Pandora on my WP" when the FACT is that you could have accessed Pandora all along. I had enough nasty email exchanges with the folks at Pandora over this that I could care less if they ever came out with an official app. And, now that they have, it's simply lame. All you official-app snobs need to get a clue.

It's not the notion that you couldn't access the service, it's the branding and reputation that comes with an official app. Whether or not you like Pandora, them releasing an official app is great for the platform. It's one less app to worry about "not having". It's nice to say "Yes, we have it" versus "No, but here are alternatives" because you'll usually lose people at "No".

Pandora doesn't have MetroRadio's disabling the lock screen and the Zunish screen saver and wallpaper. This is very cool for keeping your screen alive while driving...enables "likes" or "dislikes" without having to turn your device back on. Developer was also very responsive to personal requests.

Pandora is only available in the US where Windows Phone has a lower market share than in Europe for example.
And in Europe, Pandora is not available.
Isn't this funny?
However this app is truly welcomed as Pandora is very popular in US.
Now only if Instagram and 2 or 3 more titles would come, this hopefully make people stop complaining about missing apps.
It's a very good and healtfy sign for Windows Phone platform because having a big name in the marketplace makes other big names create their app for Windows Phone too.
That's the kind of news WIndows Phone news. Kudos to Belfiore and the team which made this happen!
They need to accelarate the pace of releasing this apps, they lost some momentum making people wait for the apps.